The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for transporting discrete commodities, such as rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for advancing commodities (hereinafter called cigarettes for short) between a maker of cigarettes and a filter tipping machine, between a maker and storage, between a maker and a packing machine, between a filter tipping machine and storage, between a filter tipping machine and a packing machine, between a maker of filter rod sections and a filter tipping machine, between storage and a filter tipping machine, between storage and a packing machine and/or elsewhere in the production lines for the mass production of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus wherein the means for advancing articles includes a chain conveyor.
It is already known to advance mass flows of cigarettes on a chain conveyor wherein the links are articulately connected to each other by upright connectors (hereinafter called pins or chain pins) having upper end portions which support substantially plate-like carriers of a mass flow of cigarettes. Reference may be had, for example, to published European patent application No. 0 221 683 B1 of Cerman which discloses a chain having a series of non-identical links and pins or shafts which extend horizontally in parallelism with the cigarettes on the carriers and in parallelism with each other. Such chain can transport cigarettes along a horizontal path or along a path which slopes upwardly and/or downwardly in a single vertical plane. However, the chain cannot advance cigarettes along a meandering path, e.g., along a spiral path upwardly into and downwardly from an upright magazine which is used for temporary storage of plain or filter cigarettes between a maker of cigarettes and storage, between a maker of cigarettes and a filter tipping machine, between a maker of cigarettes and a packing machine, between a filter tipping machine and storage or between storage and a packing machine for filter cigarettes. Magazines wherein mass flows of cigarettes are temporarily stored in the form of spirals having vertical axes are preferred in many cigarette making plants because they require a minimum of floor space. Magazines of such character are disclosed, for example, in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/157,222. The disclosure of this patent application is incorporated herein by reference.
Published German patent application No. 32 35 224 A1 discloses a chain with links which constitute carriers of conveyed commodities and are articulately connected to each other by universal joints having pairs of pintles which cross one another. One pintle of each pair has a vertical axis and the other pintle of each pair has a horizontal axis. Such joints are complex and expensive. Furthermore, the chain is not provided with rollers, balls or other rotatable followers for engagement with the surfaces of guides which define a path for the chain. The links of the chain are caused to slide along stationary surfaces so that they are subject to extensive wear. Therefore, the chain can be utilized primarily or exclusively for the transport of goods along straight paths which are horizontal or slope upwardly or downwardly in a single vertical plane. For example, the chain cannot be utilized in a magazine of the type disclosed in the aforementioned commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/157,222.
Published German patent application No. 28 22 196 of Band discloses a chain which is intended for the transport of bulky and heavy articles. The chain employs a series of identical links which are connected to each other by alternating vertical and horizontal pins. The end portions of the horizontal pins carry rollers resting on and adapted to roll along horizontal guide surfaces. The upper end portions of the vertical pins support carriers for the articles as well as pairs of rollers which are guided by vertical surfaces. The inventor states that the chain can transport articles in a spiral path extending along an arc of 360.degree.. The combined weight of the transported articles and of the chain is borne exclusively by the guide surfaces for the rollers on the horizontal pins so that such guide surfaces must be machined with a high degree of precision. Moreover, the links of the chain of Band cannot be moved sideways along a single guide surface, i.e., the rollers on the vertical pins must always be guided by pairs of spaced apart vertical surfaces. This excludes the utilization of such chains in magazines of the type disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08,157,222.
German Auslegeschrift No. 1 005 453 of Lemaresquier discloses a chain having identical links which are articulately connected to each other by pairs of crossing pins and are made of metallic sheet material. Thus, the chain of Lemaresquier resembles the chain which is disclosed in the aforediscussed published German patent application No. 32 35 224 A1. Rollers which are provided on the horizontally extending pins are caused to advance along stationary rails to establish a path for the chain. Such rollers are provided with protruding hubs receivable in the tooth spaces between the teeth of sprocket wheels at the end turns of the chain. The means for limiting sidewise movements of the chain links includes stubs for additional rollers. The vertically extending pins support carriers for commodities to be advanced along the prescribed path. In order to be movable up or down or along a horizontal path as well as sideways along a concave or convex path, the chain of Lemaresquier must be be supported and guided by a plurality of rails or other tracks providing several vertical and several horizontal or upwardly or downwardly sloping guide surfaces. All this contributes to the initial and maintenance cost as well as to the space requirements of the chain of Lemaresquier.
USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 385426 to Kolombo discloses an open vehicle for the transport of passengers between spaced apart remote boarding and disembarking stations. The vehicle which is disclosed by Kolombo is not intended to advance and is not capable of advancing discrete commodities in the form of mass flows of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry.
Certain other types of conveyors are disclosed in the published UK patent application No. 2 072 123 B2 and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,450,250, 3,575,282, 3,952,860 and 4,664,253. To the extent that they contribute to understanding of the present invention, the disclosures of these U.S. patents and of the UK patent application are incorporated herein by reference.